COMMENTARIES
  • Understanding Minority-Perpetrated Terrorism
    Firdaus Ahmed    ·   14 Jan, 2008    ·    #2467    ·    Commentary    
    The National Security Adviser, M K Narayanan, has described the government's position on the current instability in Pakistan saying that the country is "dangerous and troubled" and that "India has to insulate itself from these...
  • A Government for the People and by the People
    Mohan Guruswamy    ·   14 Jan, 2008    ·    #2466    ·    Commentary    
    The recently held high-level conference on internal security gave a call to crush the rising power of the Naxal's in several states. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's proposal to increase the police force of the Naxal-affected states which...
  • SAARC: Moving from Programmes of Cooperation to a Cooperative Programme
    Madhavi Bhasin    ·   14 Jan, 2008    ·    #2465    ·    Commentary    
    Regionalism in South Asia is celebrated through the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). But, in practice regionalism rarely functions through the activities of SAARC. Regionalism in South Asia is viewed as a tool to manage ...
  • 2008 Pakistan Elections III: Party Manifestoes
    Dr. Suba Chandran & Gautam Chawla    ·   08 Jan, 2008    ·    #2464    ·    Commentary    
    In December 2007, the leading political parties in Pakistan announced their manifestoes. While the assassination of Benazir Bhutto is likely to be the main election issue now followed by the return of democracy, there are numerous other issues w...
  • 2008 Pakistan Elections II: Postponement and its Implications
    Dr. Suba Chandran & Gautam Chawla    ·   08 Jan, 2008    ·    #2463    ·    Commentary    
    On 2 January 2008, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed national elections from 8 January to 18 February. Why were the elections postponed and what have the reactions of major players been? In its notification, the ECP has ci...
  • Ethnic Violence and Communal Polarisation in Orissa's Kandhamal District
    Maitreya Buddha Samantaray    ·   08 Jan, 2008    ·    #2462    ·    Commentary    
    The ongoing communal tension in the sensitive Kandhamal district of eastern Orissa is yet to die down, and night curfew still continues in the affected areas of Phulbani, Baliguda, Brahmanigaon and Daringbadi. Police officials have arrested 93 p...
  • Securing Indian Jails against Naxal Threats
    Saumitra Mohan    ·   08 Jan, 2008    ·    #2461    ·    Commentary    
    As the country grapples with growing law and order problems in one form or the other, the Naxals have been systematically escalating their fight against the so-called bourgeois Indian state. They have found new ways to organise themselves and ma...
  • 2008 Pakistan Elections I: A Backgrounder
    Dr. Suba Chandran & Gautam Chawla    ·   04 Jan, 2008    ·    #2460    ·    Commentary    
    Following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto Elections for the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies in Pakistan have been rescheduled from 8 January to 18 February. The National Assembly consists of 342 seats, from Islamabad (Federa...
  • School Dropouts Deepen Naxal Problem in Bihar
    Kamla Singh    ·   03 Jan, 2008    ·    #2459    ·    Commentary    
    The Prime Minister has declared that Naxalism has become the biggest national threat. There are many states under the influence of the red brigade, including India's eastern state of Bihar. One of the country's poorest states, Bihar is f...
  • The 2008 US Presidential Primaries: Competitive and Unpredictable
    Sayan Banerjee    ·   03 Jan, 2008    ·    #2458    ·    Commentary    
    The 2008 US presidential election season commences with the caucuses in Iowa on 3 January 2008. History reveals that in earlier presidential nomination processes, both parties had a front-runner, the establishment's choice with a commanding ...
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